NASSAU, Bahamas — Transport and Housing Minister JoBeth Coleby-Davis said her ministry intends to construct some 300 homes in Abaco over the next year to help alleviate the housing crisis on the island, The Tribune reported on Wednesday, September 7, in an article written by Leandra Rolle.
About 50 of those homes should be nearing completion by year’s end, she added.
“Right now, we are doing about 30 homes,” Mrs Coleby-Davis said when asked about her ministry’s housing plans for the island yesterday.
“The first PPP (public private partnership) that we had engaged, they already started the first 10 of the homes. We were able to issue assignment letters for two (out) of those ten and we’re getting ready to start the other 18 lots. I think they have 18 lots on one side, and then another few lots elsewhere so that’s in the Central Pines area.”
Regarding their housing plans for the Spring City community, Mrs Coleby- Davis said work is currently underway to develop several housing plots.
“Spring City is where we’re doing some infrastructure work on a portion that has 21 lots surveyed already,” she added. “So, we will be seeking to start construction on that as soon as the infrastructure is done and then, of course, we have I think it’s Pine Tree project that I announced during my budget contribution that we’re reviewing the landmass of that area to see what’s still available for us to begin seeking to do some homes there.
“And that’s a large plot of land. That’s my assessment (and) I think that was over 1,000 acres. So how much of that is available for us to use – we’re hoping to start that like how we’re doing with Renaissance (so) about 200 (homes) in the first phase.
“So that’s in the early stages though, and we’re hoping to speed it up in the next few months.”
Abaco has been facing a housing shortage since September 2019 when Hurricane Dorian laid waste to hundreds of homes and major infrastructure there.
Three years later, some residents are still living in government domes and other temporary housing structures as many storm-torn buildings on the island have yet to be rebuilt.
Asked yesterday to respond to the criticisms that little to nothing has been done by government to assist residents over the last three years, Mrs Coleby-Davis replied: “I think that’s really unfortunate that the time it’s taken to rebuild Abaco.” See complete article in The Tribune at http://www.tribune242.com/news/2022/sep/07/plan-build-300-homes-abaco-next-year/
